Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray made a bold allegation on Sunday, claiming that Union Home Minister Amit Shah instructed BJP leaders to split opposition parties during a closed-door meeting in Nagpur. Thackeray criticized Shah for discussing such plans behind closed doors and called for greater transparency in political tactics.
Thackeray, while speaking at an event in Ramtek, Maharashtra, where he inaugurated a life-size statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, revealed the alleged closed-door instructions. According to Thackeray, Shah asked BJP leaders to focus on politically undermining him and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar.
“Why speak behind closed doors? He should say this before people,” Thackeray remarked. He further alleged that Shah’s objective is to weaken the opposition and “loot Maharashtra” through political dominance.
In his speech, Thackeray raised questions about the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) version of Hindutva. He wondered if Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat supports a strategy that involves breaking opposition parties and poaching their leaders.
Thackeray reminded the audience that despite the BJP ending its decades-long alliance with Shiv Sena in 2014, the party still managed to win 63 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly elections.
Thackeray also highlighted the importance of the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, framing them as a critical fight to save the state from being “looted” by the BJP. The elections will see a direct contest between the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP (Mahayuti) alliance and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction).
As the elections approach, MVA is finalizing its seat-sharing strategy. NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar stated that the seat-sharing talks will be concluded within 8 to 10 days. The three MVA allies will also consult their party workers on selecting candidates for specific seats.
